Chapter 42: PUA Man, Stay Away from My Daughter (9)

Having experienced many worlds, Xie Hui could actually understand the mindset of those classmates criticizing his daughter. When it doesn’t affect their own interests, people always claim to stand up for the weak, as if his daughter’s excellence were some kind of original sin.

Still, it was utterly annoying.

Originally planning to sleep, Xie Hui sent a message to his assistant, asking him to arrange a custom dance costume designer.

Since she was going to perform at the New Year’s Eve gala, she had to be the best.

Xie Hui admitted that in matters like these, he was no different from any ordinary father—he wanted to give his daughter the best of everything so that she would never have to lower herself for anyone. Because no matter what, her father would provide something even better.

The An’an he had painstakingly raised and spoiled would never, like in the original world, be moved by something as trivial as a few breakfast deliveries from someone else.

Soon, the day of the New Year’s Eve gala arrived.

When Xie Lang heard that Grandpa was coming, he immediately went out and bought a new car.

His parents, who had once been at such odds in their youth that they never wanted to see each other again, had mellowed in middle age and started keeping each other company once more.

They weren’t exactly a loving couple, but more like ordinary family members. This time, they also came along to watch their granddaughter perform.

Since the old man was getting on in years, Xie Lang worried something might happen to him. So, he had reached out to the school leadership in advance.

With someone willing to sponsor the event and make it even grander, the school officials were more than happy to cooperate. In return for the sponsorship, they even arranged prime seating for them.

The school auditorium had heating, but even so, Xie Qi’an still felt a chill in her dance costume.

Xie Hui, having gotten the teacher’s permission, went backstage and happened to see his daughter shiver slightly from the cold. Without hesitation, he took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

“How much longer until you go on stage?”

Hearing her father’s familiar voice, Xie Qi’an instinctively beamed, her eyes curving into crescent moons. In the dimly lit backstage area, occasional beams of light from the stage illuminated her.

The youthful girl, radiant with energy, was like a sunflower basking in the sunlight.

“A little while longer—there are still two performances before mine. Dad, the first-place prize for this competition is 5,000 yuan! When I win, can you help me transfer it to Little Pomegranate?”

Even though the event wasn’t over yet, Xie Qi’an was already thinking about the prize money. She had absolute confidence in herself.

“Sure.”

When the teacher came over to tell her to get ready, Xie Qi’an returned the suit jacket to her father.

“Good luck. Besides your little uncle and great-grandfather, your grandparents are here too. They’re all watching your performance.”

Xie Hui casually draped the jacket over his arm and smiled slightly as he saw his daughter’s eyes widen in surprise.

Although the original body’s parents had no deep feelings for their two sons, they did dote on Xie Qi’an quite a bit.

Xie Hui had no intention of letting his personal feelings about that couple affect his daughter’s relationships. As far as he was concerned, it simply meant there were two more people in the world who loved his daughter.

Dressed in a pale green dance costume, Xie Qi’an’s classical dance performance stunned the audience.

Watching her on stage, Xie Hui suddenly thought back to the tiny baby he had once cradled in his arms—so light she didn’t even weigh as much as a watermelon.

Raising that little creature, barely bigger than a kitten, into the graceful young lady before him filled him with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and quiet pride.

After the performances ended, it was time for the award ceremony.

Xie Qi’an walked over to her father.

Xie Hui, who hadn’t worn his jacket at all, simply draped it over her shoulders again.

Seeing this, the old man frowned and reprimanded her, “It’s fine to want to look pretty, but you have to stay warm too. It’s freezing outside—what if you catch a cold?”

Xie Qi’an obediently nodded and agreed to everything.

“Got it.”

She had actually brought a coat—a thick down jacket, even. But while in the classroom, Shu Xia had accidentally spilled milk tea on it.

Xie Qi’an was a bit of a neat freak. Though not severe, she couldn’t stand wearing clothes that had been stained by milk tea.

As expected, she won first place.

When she went up to accept her award, the school principal personally handed her the prize and certificate. As the stage lights glowed on her hair, Xie Hui took the opportunity to snap a photo of her smiling.

In the past, Xie Hui had thought taking pictures was a waste of time. But now, he was more than happy to capture these moments as a way to record his daughter’s growth.

The New Year’s Eve gala was followed by a short holiday.

After packing up her things in the dorm, Xie Qi’an’s grandparents waited in the car, while only Xie Hui and Xie Lang stood downstairs outside the girls’ dorm to pick her up.

It was then that Shen Xi mustered up the courage to walk over to them.

“Uncle, are you Xie Qi’an’s father?”

Seeing this boy for the first time, Xie Hui glanced at him.

Sensing the scrutiny, Shen Xi subconsciously straightened his back.

“Yes, I am.”

Xie Hui barely spared him a few more looks before shifting his attention elsewhere, his attitude casual and indifferent.

This was just how he was—naturally detached.

But to Shen Xi, it felt like he was being looked down upon. His fists clenched tightly at his sides, his voice forced through gritted teeth.

“Uncle, I don’t understand something—Xie Qi’an’s family is well-off, so why would she compete with other students for the prize money?”

Shen Xi was playing a psychological game here.

He was counting on the typical parent mentality—the kind who, out of politeness, would scold their own child in front of their peers, friends, or teachers, regardless of the situation.

Some parents wouldn’t even bother to hear the full story before siding with outsiders against their own children.

Just like how, when children play together and a conflict arises, many parents instinctively scold their own child first, regardless of who is right or wrong.

Some even go as far as making their child apologize, just to keep the peace.

Xie Lang, who had been smoking under a tree nearby, overheard their conversation. He stubbed out his cigarette and tossed it into the designated bin before walking over to stand beside his brother.

When he was younger, Xie Lang had experienced the same thing—being reprimanded by his mother, who was usually distant, regardless of whether he was at fault or not.

So now, hearing this classmate’s words, he instinctively stepped in to defend his little niece.

Xie Lang had watched Xie Qi’an grow up. No matter how busy he was with work, he always made time to go home and hold his soft, sweet-smelling little niece.

She might be his niece by blood, but to him, she was no different from a daughter.

“Oh? You don’t understand?” Xie Lang sneered. “So that head on your shoulders is just for height?”

“What does An’an’s family’s financial situation have to do with you? And watch your words—‘snatch’? Kid, something earned through skill is called winning, not snatching.”

Shen Xi’s expression turned dark. The situation was unfolding completely differently from what he had expected. He stood frozen for a long moment before squeezing out another sentence.

“But she doesn’t need that money. Other students need it more.”

Xie Lang found that even funnier. Ten years ago, if someone had said this to him, he might have thrown a punch. Now that he was more mature, he wouldn’t resort to violence, but he still felt the urge to curse.

“Whether An’an needs it or not, what does that have to do with you? Do you really think the whole world revolves around you? Who do you think you are?”

At this moment, Xie Hui also stepped closer, his deep voice carrying a lazy undertone.

“Besides, every time An’an wins prize money, she donates it to fund a child’s education in a remote mountain area. If you think that classmate is more in need than children who can’t even afford school, our company has a scholarship program for underprivileged students. Have her come fill out an application.”

Shen Xi stood there, dumbfounded. He still refused to admit he was wrong, so after a long pause, he forced out another argument.

“But doesn’t she have you?”

At that moment, Xie Qi’an had just come downstairs, bundled up in a thick coat. She had overheard everything from the second floor and quickly walked over to her father.

“Why should my dad pay for my donations just because I want to help someone?” She frowned. “You’re really weird. First, you criticized me for spending money that’s not mine. Now, when I use my own prize money to help others, you say, ‘But you have your dad.’”

“Come on, Dad, Uncle, let’s ignore him and go home.”

Shen Xi remained rooted to the spot, watching their retreating figures. For a long time, he couldn’t process what had just happened.

Had he been wrong?

On the way out of school, Xie Lang was still reminding his niece, “Don’t bother with that classmate anymore. He doesn’t seem very bright.”

Xie Lang was a little worried about his niece getting into an early romance, especially at this stage. Their family was well off enough that even if Xie Qi’an never pursued higher education, she could still live freely doing what she loved.

But somewhere along the way, a deeply ingrained belief had taken root in their family—education was important.

Even when Xie Lang was at his most rebellious, his grades never dropped out of the top ten in his class.

Though he thought that boy was completely out of his mind, he had to admit that his roguish, slightly defiant demeanor was exactly the kind that teenage girls found attractive.

Xie Qi’an nodded enthusiastically. “Got it. I think he’s super weird too—kept saying all these strange things. So annoying.”

Luckily, their school had an advanced placement class. If her grades were good enough by senior year, she could transfer in. Since its inception, the AP class had maintained an impressive 85% university admission rate.

Determined, Xie Qi’an made up her mind to do extra practice tests—no matter what, she was getting into that AP class.

Xie Hui carried his daughter’s bag, walking half a step behind her and Xie Lang. Not because he thought she couldn’t carry it herself, but because looking after her had become second nature to him.

When she was little, he had wanted to foster her independence. But now that she had grown up, he found himself wanting to help her whenever he could.

Back home, Xie Qi’an greeted Aunt Zhang and the others before grabbing her favorite small cake from the fridge. She plopped onto the couch, turned on the TV to her favorite channel, and occasionally shared amusing school stories with her dad and uncle.

Just then, her phone rang. She scooped up a spoonful of cake, popped it into her mouth, and glanced at the flashing name on the screen.

Her brows furrowed slightly.